Manchester United supporters granted their wish as Cristiano Ronaldo nears his
return to Old Trafford

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to return to Manchester United next month with the club close to finalising a deal to stage a glamour friendly between Portugal and Argentina at Old Trafford.

Negotiations between United and senior figures from the Portugal Football Federation and Argentine Football Association are understood to have reached an outline agreement for Old Trafford to host an international encounter with between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Final details have yet to be signed off by the Portuguese, but with both countries and United set to benefit from lucrative financial spin-offs by staging the game, confirmation of the fixture is expected in the coming days.

The proposed friendly, pencilled in for the same night as England’s first away fixture against Scotland since 1999, would see Ronaldo return to Old Trafford for only the second time since his £80m transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.

Having scored on his first visit back to the stadium with Real during a Champions League second round tie in March 2013, Ronaldo’s presence for the friendly against the World Cup runners-up would ensure a sell-out crowd at Old Trafford in a game which would also see United’s Angel di Maria and Marcos Rojo line-up for Argentina.

Argentina are planning to contest two friendlies during the November international break, with the game at Old Trafford following a proposed clash against South American rivals Colombia in Madrid on November 15.

Although Old Trafford has previously hosted an Argentina fixture by staging their friendly against the Soviet Union in front of a crowd of 23,000 in May 1991, the prospect of Ronaldo facing Messi in Manchester would generate worldwide interest and go some way to satisfying the desire of United supporters to see Ronaldo play on the Old Trafford stage once again.

A banner carrying the message ‘Come Home Ronaldo’ was flown over Villarreal’s El Madrigal stadium during Real’s La Liga visit at the weekend.

And with United manager Louis van Gaal admitting last month that he would be interested in re-signing Ronaldo should he be made available by Real, optimism has grown that the 29-year-old could be enticed back to Manchester.

When asked about United earlier this week, however, Ronaldo hinted that he is prepared to remain at Real, despite tensions with club president Florentino Perez.

“I always said that I have a family at Manchester but I'm good in Madrid,” Ronaldo said. “I'm glad of the affection that United fans have for me, it means that I have left good memories.”

Meanwhile, former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is also set to tread the Old Trafford turf again this weekend with the Scot lined up to welcome South Korean midfielder Ji-sung Park back to the club in his new role as an ambassador.

Ferguson’s last appearance in front of the United supporters was during his farewell speech on the pitch following a fixture against Swansea City in May 2013, days after the announcement of his retirement as manager.

During the unsuccessful reign of David Moyes as his successor last season, Ferguson remained away from the public spotlight.

But having been pictured with new manager Van Gaal at a gala dinner in honour of Ryan Giggs last week, Ferguson will now appear on the pitch prior to Sunday’s league game against Everton at Old Trafford as part of the ceremony to announce Park’s return as a club ambassador.